Midland taxidermist earns top honor

Courtesy photoThis exhibit of a mountain lion attacking a deer, created by Midland taxidermist Justin Pohl, recently won first place in a People's Choice contest.

MIDLAND — The most common reaction of most people who see Justin Pohl’s “Leap of Faith” taxidermy project for the first time is to wonder how he managed to create a full mount of an attacking mountain lion and a large mule deer buck, both in a nearly vertical position.

The answer, of course, is a very strong steel framework inside both the mountain lion and the mule deer that extends from the lion’s front right paw through the body of the mule deer.

The entire artwork extends upwards at a 45-degree angle some nine feet.

Both mounts were created by stretching tanned hides over custom-made foam molds that he modified for the artwork and then fitted with an internal steel framework that can be disassembled for moving.

The mule deer weighs about 70 pounds, while the mountain lion comes in at about 100 pounds. The steel framework inside each creates most of the weight.

Pohl, 34, the owner of Mid-State Taxidermy, located six miles south of downtown Midland, says he created the artwork over several months in his studio. It was completed in March, just before the Ultimate Outdoor Show in Grand Rapids.

Pohl earned three trophies for his work, including the People’s Choice award, awarded by his fellow taxidermists.

The other trophies he won include Best of Category from the Michigan Taxidermists Association and another one from fellow taxidermist Dennis Harrison, of Sandusky, who is also known for creating vertical artwork of mountain lion attacks. Henderson awards a trophy for artistic mounts that incorporate vertical assemblies.

Pohl said he was inspired to create the artwork after seeing vertical mounts by Harrison that feature the mountain lion attacking other mammals from above. Pohl said he wanted to reverse the order with his artwork, putting the lion below the buck.

A Birmingham native, Pohl said he was interested in taxidermy work from childhood, when he was fascinated by taxidermy pieces he had seen. He started working on fish mounts when he was a boy.

“I liked the idea of bringing the outdoors inside,” he said.

“I liked the idea of preserving wildlife in a natural and artistic way.”

He has been a professional taxidermist for 18 years, after serving a 10-year apprenticeship with a Waterford business.

He has been on his own for the last eight years at his Midland area studio. He works alone and has clients throughout Michigan and the rest of the country, he said.

Pohl said he got the mountain lion from a client who had killed two mountain lions in successful hunts, but didn’t want to have both mounted. The mule deer came from a broker out West, he said.

Pohl specializes in mammal mounts, but he said he does all kinds of taxidermy work, such as fish and birds.

He said he created the project as a display for his showroom and values it at $7,000 to $8,000.

Pohl said he plans to take “Leap of Faith” to other outdoor shows in Michigan next winter as a way to promote his business.

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